Combined pick-up table and postmarking-machine.



J. T. LYNOH.

COMBINED PICK-UP TABLE AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 1.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1911.

Mf /W1 0. V ji J. T. LYNCH. 1

COMBINED PICK-UP TABLE AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED r113. 20, 1911.

1,073,808, Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 21 COLUMBIA PLANOGIAFH 120.. WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PA;'IENT OFFICE,

JOHN T. LYNCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. CUMMINS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COMBINED PICK-UP TABLE AND POS'IMARKING-MACHINE.

Application filed. February 2-), 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', JOHN T. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful IIUPIOVOIHCHi'S in a Combined Pick-Up Table and Postmarking-Machine, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding numerals of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

My invention relates to machines for automatically conveying mail matter from a facing or pick-up-table directly to a canceling or post-marking die and finally to a stacking mechanism in one continuous operation. Heretofore it has been found impracticable to convey mail matter directly from a pick-up-table to a marking die for the reason that the number of mailrpieces delivered from the pick-up-table when all of the operators at the table are working rapidly, is often in excess of the capacity of the die and when working slowly or their number is temporarily decreased, as fre quently occurs, the number of mail pieces so delivered to the die is less than can be disposed of thereby. Inasmuch as it is necessary to run the latter at a fixed rate of speed and in view of the fact that the output from the pick-up-table is very irregular, being sometimes considerably greater and at others much less than the capacity of the marking die, it follows that the latter would either become clogged by an excess of mail or be required either to run idle, or to cancel an amount of mail far below its limit. For the reasons stated, it has heretofore been the custom to deliver the mail-pieces from a pick-up'table to a stacking mechanism and then to transfer them by hand in bunches to the canceling device. This method not only involves loss of time but necessitates the employment of an additional attendant in carrying it out.

The object of my invention is to overcome this ditliculty by so combining a pick-uptable and its conveying and separating mechanism, with an auxiliary stacking device and marking die and so constructing and arranging certain of the parts, as to enable Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23,1913.

Serial No. 609,725.

mail-pieces to be automatically delivered from the pick-up-table directly to the die during and until such time as the rate of delivery thereof shall exceed the capacity of the latter and that whenever such capacity becomes exceeded that the excess mail may be auton'latically stacked and temporarily held in an intervening or auxiliary stacking receptacle until the rate of deliv' cry is decreased and that when its rate of delivery is sufficiently decreased to fall below the maximum capacity of the canceling machine, enough of the mail pieces so stacked may be fed from the stacking receptacle to the canceling machine to make up the deficiency, so as to keep the latter constantly supplied to its full limit. In other words, it is my purpose to provide means whereby mail-pieces may be caused to pass directly from the pick-up-table to the marking die until they exceed a given rate per minute, when the excess will be temporarily stacked, and to supply any doficiency, be it one or more, from such stack, when the rate of delivery from the pick-uptable is decreased or the delivery therefrom is arrested entirely, so that the canceling machine may be constantly supplied to its maximum limit either from one or the other of said sources.

In order to carry out the broad purposes above stated, it is essential that the auxiliary stacking device should not only act automatically to receive and temporarily store excess mail but that it should automatically deliver the same to the marking die whenever the delivery of mail from the pick-uptable falls belov a given rate. These requirements make it desirable that the stacking mechanism should be sensitive and uniform in its action and readily responsive to varying (3011(lltl0l1S. In other words that the carrier for supporting the surplus mail should yield with a uniform opposing pressure to the action of the mail-pieees deposited upon it by the stacking cam when said pieces are being stacked and reverse its action instantly and without shock and maintain a like uniformity of pressure in cansing the mail-pieces to be fed therefrom whenever the supply from the pick-up-tali)le is arrested.

To the several ends above stated, my invention consists in the combination of ele-- ments hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the portion of the stacking mechanism showing the manner in which the foremost mailpiece may be advanced by the stacker wing toward the die while any excess may be temporarily stacked, Fig. 3, is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken upon the line 3, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the ar row there shown and Fig. 4-, is a-sectional view taken upon the line 4, Fig. 3, viewed in'the direction of'the arrowthere shown.

Referring to the draawings,'1 represents a portion of a pick-uptable having the usual conveyor belt 2, arranged along the edge, said belt being mounted upon pulleys, in a well known way. The upper or carrying face'of the belt is about five or siX inches lower than the top of the pick-up table to provide for a series of feed pock= ets which are arranged to communicate with a common runway i, a portion of said belt, however, designated by 5, is extended beyond said pick-up-table proper, its upper surface being flush withthat of the table 6, of a canceling machine which is connected with the end of the pick-up-table. Feed rollers 7, 8, a spring pressed separating finger 9 and a reverse separating roller 10, all of well known construction, are located in the mail-piece path for advancing and separating the mail-pieces as they are delivered from the pick-up-table. A vertical shield 11, adjacent. to the mailpiece path, serves to support the mail pieces upon edge. A rotary stacking member or cam 12, of a well known form having curved wings, is located in the path of the mail-pieces upon a vertical shaft 13, better shown in Fig. 2. Extending laterally from the main frame of the canceling machine opposite to the stacking cam 12 is a stacker frame, generally designated by 1A, which is preferably arranged in a horizontal plane. A carrier belt 15, mounted upon pulleys 16 and 1'? at the front and rear respectively of said frame, is provided for the reception of the mail-pieces which may be delivered thereto from the stacker'cam. I- vertical follower plate 19, is permanently attached to the belt by means of brackets 20, said follower being arranged diagonally across the belt at an angle to the mail-piece path as shown. A vertical guard 21, is located upon the left hand side of the stacker belt and extended to such point in or adjacent to the mail-piece path as to enable it to act as a stop against the endwise movement of the mail-pieces, except the foremost or that in immediate contact with the stacker wing. The journals of the rollers 16 and 17 may be constructed in any well-known way, preferably in the manner clearly shown at 22, 23, Fig. 3.

Splined to the shaft 13, so as to permit a vertical movement thereof while rotated by the shaft, is a friction gear 24, the hub of which is provided with a groove 25, for the reception of pins 26 in the arms of a yoke 27 upon a lever 28 which is pivoted to the frame 29. A rod 30 has one end jointedly connected to the end of the lever and the other attached to a lug 31, upon the frame. A spring 32 is interposed between the lever and a washer 33, the position of v V which latter may be adjusted by means of lock-nuts 34, to vary the tension of the spring. The face of the friction gear 24:, is held by the pressure of the spring 32 in yielding frictional'contact with that of a like friction gear 35, upon a short shaft 36, Fig. l, journaled in a bearing supported by a bracket attached to the frame. A gear 38 attached to said shaft, is in mesh with an intermediate gear 39 which, in turn, is in engagement with a like gear 40, upon the end of the roller 16.

The tendency of the gears described is to advance the follower 19 toward the mail,- piece path but inasmuch as said gears are continuously in action, it follows thatsoine means should be provided to limit the forward movement of the follower. This may be variously accomplished. For example,

a laterally projecting lug 4ll,'better shown in Fig. 2, may be attached to the under face of the belt near to said follower, which is adapted to engage a shoulder 42, upon the guard 21 or else-where when the follower shall have reached its forward limit of advancement.

Mounted upon pulleys 43, 4A, supported upon vertical shafts, is a conveyor belt 4L5, which is driven in the usual way for conveying the mail-pieces to and past any well known form of rotary marking die A6, with which is associated the usual impression roller 47. The marking die may be rotated in any well known way and its peripheral speed, which should be constant, should conform substantially to, or be slightly in excess of the average capacity of the pick-up-table, so that when mailpieces are delivered to the latter at an average rate they may pass in successive order to the marking die, and when they fall below such average the excess pieces in the stacker may be passed to the die, thereby preventing the latter from running idle. A vertical guard 48 and auxiliary feed rollers 49 and 50 are also provided for advancing the mail-pieces past the marking die to a final stacking mechanism 51, which may be of any approved ctmstruction, but is pref erably made in subshuitial conformity to the stacking device 14, already described.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: An operator, standing in front of each of the pockets 3, picks up the mailpieces as they are thrown loosely upon the table before him, faces each so that the address may be upon the side next to him and the stamp near the lower edge, and deposits them in the pocket before him. Alighting upon the conveyor belt they are carried in the channel 1, to the separating mechanism, where they are separated and thence advanced in successive order to the stacker. In order to accomplish this result satisfactorily, it is essential that the speed of the feed-roller 7 should be sull'icient to take care of the mail-pieces as 'apidly as they are deposited in the main runway when all of the operators are working at full capacity. Otherwise there would be a congestion of mailpieces in the throat of the separator. Moreover, the feed roller 8 and the stacking cam should be driven faster than the feed roller 7 and at an accelerating speed with respect to each other in order to insure the requisite spacing between the mail-pieces as they are advanced to avoid choking at the stacker. It will be noted that while the stacking cam may be driven at a higher speed than that of the feed roller 8, every point upon the latter throughout its circumference acts to advance the mail-pieces, while, in any form of stacking device acting upon an eccentric or cam principle, only a slight portion acts in that way while other portions serve to move the mail-pieces laterally. An indication of the action is illustrated in Fig. 2. It will. be seen that the guard 21 and the retarding roller 4.0 are so adjusted with reference to the stacking cam that but one mail-piece can pass from said cam toward the printing die. The mailpieces between the follower 19 and the foremost piece are retarded by contact with said shield and roller while the frictional action of the cam wing upon the foremost piece serves to advance it into contact with the feed belt it. The bearing of the roller it) is made to yield laterally against a spring not shown to allow for thick mail-pieces. This feature, being well known, has not been shown. The guard 21 is also shortened to provide for this contingency. In the meantime the next succeeding mailpiece advanced from the pick-up-table is too late to be caught by the wing in contact with the foremost mail-piece and too early to contact with the acting face of the next wing. The result is that the forward end contacts with the rear of the first named wing as indicated at 52. In the absence of another mail-piece following in time to be caught by the next succeeding wing, the mail-piece 52 would be carried on without obstruction to be engaged by the feed belt l5 and advanced to the markingdic. Should, however, another mail-piece be advanced between the mailpiece 52 and the shield 11, in time to permit its forward end to be caught by the next succeeding wing, the piece 52 would be pushed back against the action of the follower 19 upon the stacker belt and its forward end would be directed against the shield 21 which arrests its progress and the piece 53 would be advanced to the die. So in all cases the forward mail-piece or the one just to be brought into actual contact with the working face of a stacker wing, would be the one to be advanced, and should more than one reach the space between two wings, only one will be advanced while the other will be engaged by the stop and pushed back upon the stacker. It should be noted that at all times, the follower it) is being pressed forward against the pack by the action of the friction rollers 2 35, and the intermediate gears, in opposition to the action of the stacker wings, the tension of the spring 32, which may be controlled by the adjusting nuts 34, being just sullicient to maintain the requisite degree of friction so as to cause the necessary yielding pressure against the stack.

tshould there be a lull in the advance of the mail-pieccs from the jiick-up-table, the pressure of the follower upon the pack will be sullicient to push the foremost piece past the end of the stop 91, when it will be advanced by the next-succeeding stacker wing toward the printing die and this action will continue as long as there are no mailpicces advanced from the pick-up-lable, until all are fed from the stack; but inasmuch as the maibpicccs from the tabl) are presented in front of those in the stack, being introduced into the space between the stacker wings. they will be :ulvauced and the others withheld, lhe right of way being auto1nalically given to such of those from lhe table as are in time to enter said space. Should they be successively :ulvanced from the pickup-table so as to be successively caught, by the successive slai'ckeraving s, they would be passed on directly to the marking die and ther would be no change in the number upon the stacker belt but any variation in the speed ol' the operalors would at once be indicated by the stacker, either by increasing or decreasingthe accumulation. The spring cmitrollcd friction feed mechanism for pressing the follower it) forward and at the same time enabling it to be pushed back by the rapid accumulation of mail-pieces, is very sensitive to change and adapts itself readily to dilii'ercul reuuiremcnts. but it is when the mail-pieces are fed out rapidly from the stack and then suddenly stopped by a rapid accumulation irom the pick-uptable that the device is most severely tested, inasmuch as any tendency to sudden shock is entirely avoided. By adjusting the speed of the conveyor belt 2, so as to conform to the maximum capacity of all the operators when working at full capacity and adjusting that of the feed rollers and stacking cam as described while that of the feed belt 45, is made to conform to the peripheral speed of the die, the surplus mail pieces may be stacked and the remainder carried on so that the average speed of mail-pieces advanced to th printing die will conform to that of said die and the highest efiiciency of the machine as a whole will be maintained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. lhe combination of a pick-up-table, a marking die, means for conveying mailpieces from the former to the latter, an interposed stacking mechanism comprising a stacking receptacle upon one side of the mail-piece patn opposit to a rotary stacking member forming a part of said conveying means, two sets of separating means one preceding said stacking mechanism and the other following it, and means upon said stacking receptacle for yieldingly resisting the act-ion of the stacking member. to press mail-pieces in the receptacle toward said member.

2. The combination of a pick-up-t-able, a marking die, a stacking receptacle interposed between the two upon one side of the mailpiece path, a revoluble stacking member upon the opposite side of said path, means for conveying mail-pieces from said pick-uptable to said stacking member, separating means between said pick-up-table andsaid V stacking member, separating means between said stacking member and said die, means for conveying mail-pieces from said stacking member to said die and means in said stacking receptacle for pressing mail pieces with a yielding pressure toward said stacking member.

3. The combination of a piclr-up-table, a rotary marking die, stacking mechanism interposed between the two comprising a rotary stacking member upon one side and a stacking receptacle upon the opposite side of the letter path, means for conveying mail-pieces from said pick-up-table to said stacking mechanism at a higher rate of speed than the peripheral speed of said marking die, separating means interposed between said table and said stacking mechanism, separating mechanism in the mailpiece path following said stacking mechanism, means for conveying mail-pieces from said last named separating mechanism to said die at a rate of speed conforming substantially to that of said die and yielding means for pressing mail-pieces in said mechanism at a rate equal tothe maximum capacity of the operatives, separating mechanism interposed between said pick-up-table and said stacking mechanism, separating mechanism in the mail-piecepath immedi: ately following said stacking mechanism,

means for conveying mail-pieces therefromto said die at a speed conforming substantially to the peripheral speed of said die, and means for yieldingly pressing mail-pieces in said stacking receptacle toward said rotary stacking member.

5. The combination of a pick-up-table, a rotary marking die, a stacking receptacle interposed between the two, the samebeing arranged laterally to and upon one side of the mail-piece path, a later ally movable follower in said receptacle, means for advancing the same toward the mail-piece path with a yielding pressure, a rotary stacking member upon the opposite side of said mail-piece path, means for conveying mail-pieces from said table to said stacking member at a predetermined rate of speed, means succeeding said stacking member for preventing the forwarding therefrom of more than one mail-piece at a time and means for advancing mail-pieces from said stacking member to said die, the rate of speed of said die as well as that of said advancing means being less than that of said first named advancing means, whereby when said mail-pieces are delivered at a maximum rate from said table, those in excess of a given rate may be temporarily stacked and when said rate of delivery is decreased those so stacked may be fed to the die. V

6. The combination of a pickup-table, a rotary marking die, emergency stacking mechanism in the mail-piece athway between the two comprising a combined feed and stacking member upon one side of said pathway and a stacking receptacle upon the other, a movable follower upon said recep-' tacle for supporting mail-pieces fed thereto, means for moving'said follower toward said stacking member to exerta yielding pressure against the stack of mail pieces, separating mechanism interposed between said picl* rip-table and stacking mechanism, means forming a part of said separating mechanism for advancing the mail-pieces'to the stacking member at a speed exceeding that of the marking die, conveying means between said stacking mechanism and said marking die the speed of which is in substantial conformity to that of said die and means for permitting the passage ot but one mail-piece at a time from said stacking mechanism to said last named conveying means.

7. The combination of a pick-up-table, a rotary marking die, an emergency stacking mechanism interposed in the mail-piece path between them, said mechanism comprising a rotary stacking member upon one side 01' said path, and a stacking receptacle upon the other, means for conveying mail-pieces from said pick-up-table to said stacking mechanism at a speed exceeding the peripheral speed of the marking die, means for conveying mail.pieces from said stacking mechanism at a lesser speed than that of said first named conveying means, means for prevent ing the passage of but one mail-piece at a time from said stacking mechanism, an endless belt on said. stacking receptacle for the reception of mail-pieces, a follower thereon, and m ans -tor actuating said belt to move said follower toward said stacking member with a yielding pressure.

8. The combination with a piclcup-table and a rotary marking die, of a stacking receptacle interposed between the two upon one side of the mail-piece path, said receptacle comprising an endless belt mounted upon rollers, a follower thereon for supporting the mail-pieces, means for moving said :tollower toward the mail path with a yielding pressure, a rotary stacking member opposite to said receptacle means for preventing the passage of more than one mail-piece at a time from said stacking member toward said die, and separate conveying means, one for conveying mail-pieces from said pickup-table to said stacking member ata higher rate of speed than that of the marking die and the other for conveying them from said stacking member to said die at a speed con- "forming substantially to that of said die.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pick-up-table and a rotary marking die, of means for conveying mail-pieces from the former toward the latter, means for separating said pieces as they are delivered from said pick-up-table, means for advancing said separated mail-pieces toward said die at a rate of speed exceeding the peripheral speed of the latter, interposed means for arresting excess mail-pieces when delivered from the pick-up-table at a rate exceeding a predetermined maximum, an emergency receptacle for temporarily receiving and holding said excess pieces, said receptacle having mail supporting means for exerting a yielding pressure upon said pieces to return them to the mail-piece path,

means upon the opposite side of said path from said receptacle for pressing the excess pieces laterally into said receptacle while advancing toward the die, the one in immediate contact therewith, and means between said excess arresting means and said die, :lo' advancing 1nail-pieccs to said die at a speed conforming substantially to the peripheral speed of said die.

10. The combination with a pick-up-table and a rotary marking die, oi means for conveying mail-pieccs from said table to separating mechanism, the capacity of said conveying means being equal to the maximum capacity of the table operators, separating mechanism for delivering said mailpieces to a rotary member arranged to push said mail-pieces laterally while tending to advance the foremost piece toward the die, an emergency receptacle having laterally yielding supporting means for supporting said pieces upon their edges, said supporting means permitting them to accumulate therein, while pressing them laterally toward the mail-piece path, separating means in advance of said receptacle and means between said lastnamed separating means and said die for advancing said mail pieces toward said die at a rate of speed contorming to that of the periphery of said die.

11. The combination with a pick-notable and a continuously rotating marking die, of means for advancing mail-pieces upon their edges from one to the other and an interposed emergency receptacle located adjacent to the mail-picce-path, said receptacle being adapted to receive and temporarily hold mail-pieces when delivered at a rate in excess of the capacity of the die and to redeliver them to said advancing means whenever the delivery from the pick-uptable falls below a yn'edetcrmined maximum rate.

.12. The COl'l'iblIitltlOli with apick-up-table, a rotary marking die and conveying means for advancing mail-pieces upon their edges from one to the other, of an emergency receptacle located at one side of the mailpiece path, into which mail-pieces advanced from the pickup-table in excess ot a given rate per unit of time may be moved lat erally by said conveying means and means for redelivering said excess mail-pieces to said path to be advanced to the die whenever the rate of delivery from the pick-uptablc falls to a given rate.

13. The combination with a pickup-table and a rotary marking die, of conveying mechanism between the two for advancing mail-pieces upon their edges from one to the other, said conveying mechanism being provided with means for laterally shunting surplus mail-pieces from a predetermined path when the speed of delivery exceeds that of the die and :redelivering them laterally into said path when the speed of delivery from the pick-up-ta-ble falls below that of said die.

14;. The combination With a facing table, and marking die, of means for conveying mail-pieces in a normal path from said table to said die, means, forming a part of said conveying means, for shunting mailpieces from their normal path when ad vanced from said table in excess of a given rate per unit of time, means for temporarily arresting the advance of the pieces so shunted and means for limiting the rate of advance of the pieces so arrested to prede termined maximum.v

15. The combination With a facing table and a marking die, of means for conveying mail-pieces in a normal path from said table to said die, means, forming a part of said conveying means, for shunting mail-pieces from their normal path when advanced tween Said separating means and die being limited in its Speed to a predetermined maximum rate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing- Witnesses, this 18th day of February 1911..

JOHN T. LYNCH. \Vitnesses:

HARRY I. PROMER, JENNIE L. FIsKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents. Washington, ID. 0. 

